Task management- Getting things done while staying relaxed Jamie Wooldridge, MD Pulmonary Medicine

Lecture Qualifiers Time management seminar - 8 hour course July 2007 Actively completed more exercises Today- 60 minute lecture Brief overview Contact me for individual help

Your Career Development Airplane analogy 50,000 ft- What is your life long purpose for being? 40,000 ft- What are your goals for the next few years? 30,000 ft- What are your objectives for the next year? 20,000 ft- What are your current areas of responsibility? 10,000 ft- What are your current projects? Runway- What are your current actions?

Your Career Development Airplane analogy 50,000 ft- What is your life long purpose for being? 40,000 ft- What are your goals for the next few years? 30,000 ft- What are your objectives for the next year? 20,000 ft- What are your current areas of responsibility? 10,000 ft- What are your current projects? Runway- What are your current actions? Focus of this lecture

“It’s possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control.”

Productivity (Achieving Goals) Productive Not stressed Stressed Unproductive Unstressed St ress

Definitions Task Management- not Time management Only 24 hours in the day Work- anything that you want or need to be different than it currently is No difference between “work” and “personal life” Methods applicable across life/work spectrum

Why Implement this System? Stress- most people experience from inappropriately managed commitments they make or accept Many more agreements to do something than most realize- every agreement is being tracked by the less-than conscious brain Open-loops – Work agreements that have not been completed write manuscript, write prescription for medication, follow up on labs, start running

Why Implement this System? Open-loops cause distraction mind not clear to think Commitment to open-loops often unclear making progress in completing loop difficult RAM memory of brain Too full remembering open-loops instead of thinking

YOUR CHOICE? Unhappy Brain without organization system TTTTTTTTTTTT MM MMMMMMMM TTTT

Key Objectives to System Capture EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE that needs to be done into a logical, trusted system outside your head and off your mind Now, later, someday, big, little, in between, personal, family, job- EVERYTHING!!

Key Objectives to System 2. Disciplining yourself to make front-end decisions about all the inputs in your life so that you will always have a plan for “next actions” that you can implement or renegotiate at any moment

Exercise Write down the project or situation that is most on your mind at this moment

Exercise Write down the project or situation that is most on your mind at this moment Describe in single sentence intended successful outcome of this project or situation

Exercise Write down the project or situation that is most on your mind at this moment Describe in single sentence intended successful outcome of this project or situation Write down the very next physical action required to move the project/situation forward

Until all those projects/situations in your life are clarified, next actions set, and the resulting data stored in a trusted system -

STRESS and UNPRODUCTIVE Until all those projects/situations in your life are clarified, next actions set, and the resulting data stored in a trusted system – Your brain will not stop thinking about them = STRESS and UNPRODUCTIVE

ARE YOU READY?

The Five Steps of Work Flow Collect things that command your attention-STUFF Process what they mean and what to do about them Organize the results Review as options to choose what to do next Do

COLLECT 1

STUFF? Our own thoughts Conversations- personal, phone E-mail Meetings Regular mail Voice mail Other Stuff ??

Collection Tools (buckets) for STUFF Physical in-basket Writing paper or pads Computers/PDAs Dictaphones E-mail

Jamie’s BUCKETS Write everything down!!!!!

Successful Collection Every open loop must be in collection system, out of your head Keep close to you Few Collection buckets Too many- not able to process Empty them on regular basis Emptying dose not mean finishing the open loop, just processing it Don’t look unless you are read to process Set time limit No skipping

PROCESS 2

(Do I need to do something?) Processing STUFF What is it? Is it actionable? (Do I need to do something?)

(Do I need to do something?) Processing STUFF What is it? Is it actionable? (Do I need to do something?) NO

(Do I need to do something?) Processing STUFF What is it? Is it actionable? (Do I need to do something?) NO TRASH- no longer needed INCUBATE- No action now, might need something done later REFERENCE- Useful information that might need later

Incubate- Someday/Maybe Reference Files Trash- USE IT

Processing STUFF Is it actionable? YES

Can it be done in less then 2 minutes? Processing STUFF Is it actionable? YES Can it be done in less then 2 minutes?

DO IT Processing STUFF Can it be done in less then 2 minutes? Is it actionable? YES Can it be done in less then 2 minutes? DO IT 2:00 clock available to download

Am I the right person to do this? Processing STUFF Is it actionable? YES Am I the right person to do this? NO DELEGATE IT

DEFER IT Processing STUFF Am I the right person to do this and Is it actionable? YES Am I the right person to do this and take longer that 2 minutes? DEFER IT Calendar Project List Waiting For

Projects Anything that you need to do that will take two or more steps to complete- “Open loops” Each project needs to have defined outcome Comprehensive list No need to prioritize Don’t actually “do” projects- do action steps related to projects 40-100 open projects at any time

Uses for Complete Project List Eliminate anxiety of forgetting Improve focus on current work Rational priority selection Accurately assess goal alignment Pruning

Identify Projects for Focus (Pruning?) It’s your job… You promised Related to long term goal Interesting Easy to do, but no real payoff I think I can do this better than anyone else The men refuse to do it

Identify Projects for Focus (Pruning?) It’s your job… You promised Related to long term goal Interesting Easy to do, but no real payoff I think I can do this better than anyone else The men refuse to do it

Projects- examples Big projects- Little Projects- Developing a pediatric sleep center Increase referrals to lung center Moving into Coventus Anna’s birthday party Little Projects- Complete clinic notes Getting established with new doctors Motivational interviewing training for Lung Center Exercise program

ORGANIZE 3

Just say “NO” Organize- Tools Eliminate- TRASH- Yes your trash can is a tool!! Deleting emails Deleting includes saying “no” Just say “NO”

Organize- Tools Incubate- No action now- but might do later Someday/maybe list Aerodigestive center Learn how to incorporate learning styles into lectures Establish a pulmonary clinic in Hamburg Learn to play the banjo I store list electronically with support hard copy files- Color coded- purple

Organize- Tools Reference- Useful information, might need later Hard copy or Electronic files Reference Files- A to Z Label manila folders Or one folder per hanging file- green files Tickler Files- 43 files (month, each day of month) Hard copy files match electronic files

Tickler Files

Organize Tools Calendar (delegate) Project/next action List Waiting for List Project Files

Organize Tools Calendar (delegate) Project/next action List Waiting for List Project Files (Lists- must be easily reviewable)

Yes action - tools Calendar Project List Project Files Next Action List Waiting for List

Project Support Materials- Project Files Relevant information to project Details Plans Supporting information Filed identical to project list Hard copy folder Electronic Hard drive on computer Email folders

Next Action Next physical, visible activity that needs to be engaged in order to move project toward completion Some projects may have multiple next actions May have to do in order or not

Projects- examples Big projects- Little Projects- Developing a pediatric sleep center Increase referrals to lung center Moving into Coventus Anna’s birthday party Little Projects- Complete clinic notes Getting established with new doctors Motivational interviewing training for Lung Center Exercise program

Next Action- examples Write a job description for sleep physician Schedule a visit to a primary care office Create slides on types of patients to refer to lung center Look up places for ninja training Get recommendations for others on local Med/Ped doctors Activate membership at YMCA

Waiting for- examples Sam Carlo is approved the job posting Steve Lana to give me dates he is visiting primary care offices

Project List- example

Examples of Project List

Apps for Task Management PC Smartsheet Outlook Onenote Wunderlist Mac Things Omnifocus

REVIEW 4

Weekly Review Review/update 1 hour as routine Calendar (3 weeks6 months) Project List Next action List Waiting For List 1 hour as routine Do just one section per day In a pinch, just problem areas I try to do weekly

Weekly Review Occasionally add Someday/maybe list Higher “altitudes list” 50,000 ft- What is your life long purpose for being? 40,000 ft- What are your goals for the next few years? 30,000 ft- What are your objectives for the next year? 20,000 ft- What are your current areas of responsibility?

Calendar Review Time Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri 7:00 8:00 Meeting Grand Rounds 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 Meetings Clinic 1:00 2:00 3:00 Review 4:00 OFF 5:00

Review Open time targets Based on your job: Leave up to half open for emergencies Schedule Self-appointments Protected time 30min/90min slots Remaining time divide Processing Short next actions

DO 5

Get ready for day Pick 3 next action items Some days, you’ll not any time for action items Other days, “bigger” action items can be done Take advantage of even small amounts of time

Procrastinating? Do I really think this needs to be done? Do I know how to do this? Do I have the tools/information I need? Is this really the very next action? Am I being grandiose? Am I afraid?

Implementation Options Take a couple of days to create a whole new system from scratch Start new system going forward; pull in old stuff as needed Pick one change, incorporate, then add another 2 minute rule Collect Project list